Start in Ubud and end in Sanur!
With the in-depth cultural tour Beautiful Bali, you have a 9 day tour package taking you from Ubud to Sanur and through
Ubud, Indonesia and 4 other
destinations in Indonesia.
Beautiful Bali
is a small group tour that
includes
accommodation in a hotel as well as an expert guide, meals, transport.

Our guide, Asep, was knowledgable, easy-going, with a sense of humour. It was a well-planned trip that covered many different areas in Bali. All of the accommodations were as indicated in the Trip Notes – basic but comfortable – but the lush, quiet, jungle-like settings with beautiful flowers and trees, are truly wonderful and more than make up for the modesty of the accommodations. We are used to travelling quite a bit “higher end” but we thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Most places had a pool and some had spa services. Balinese massages are very reasonable (about $14 CAD/hour) and seem to fall closer in intensity to a Thai massage than a relaxation massage, but various options are available. Towels provided at the various lodgings are minimal (most had just two bath towels and that’s it) but you can request more. No wash cloths were provided at any of the places we stayed, so a travel sized nylon bath pouf came in very handy and was quick drying. Hair conditioner was generally not provided but shampoo and body wash were. The outdoor (but very private) bathroom in Sideman was a surprise but was kind of fun. Laundry service by the kilogram was readily available in Lovena, about half-way through the trip; there were 2 or 3 places with next day service within very easy walking distance of the accommodations and prices were very reasonable.
The 3:00am hike up Mt. Batu was a highlight of the trip, but was a bit more challenging than many reviews indicated, with a more of an incline than anticipated, and having to climb over large lava rocks at times. Nevertheless, it was thoroughly enjoyable. A headlamp is much better than a handheld flashlight (torch) so that both hands are free to help with the climb. Sunrise was partially obstructed by a higher hill and therefore anticlimactic, but the hike itself was still a highlight. Very glad we had actual hiking shoes; they were light trail ones but had good support and good treads for the terrain. The descent was on a different trail, without the large rocks, and was much easier. Be aware of the food-snatching monkeys at the top. Basic snacks and beverages were sold by roving vendors at the top, but best to take adequate snacks and water with you.
The bike ride through villages was another highlight, as was the home cooked meal, seeing the decorations and preparations for the festival called Galungan (early April), the walk through the rice fields and village with a local guide, and meeting people of various ages and backgrounds in our tour group, while enjoying and learning about local Balinese customs. The visit to a family home near Ubud was interesting, but the artist was a bit high pressure in wanting to sell his artwork.
Snorkelling was another big highlight for us after the waves had subsided and the garbage in the water had floated away. The Trip Notes said that after heavy rains there can be garbage in the ocean and this was certainly the case, and the amount of garbage was truly disturbing, but once it cleared, the underwater view, over a colourful coral reef, was truly spectacular. The boat used for the outing was of rather dubious seaworthiness with water continually seeping in and the guide frequently pumping it out. Thankfully, decent life jackets are supplied.
The breakfasts provided at the accommodations ranged from adequate to very good. We never left breakfast feeling hungry. The coffee, on the other hand, took some getting used to. Typical Balinese coffee is ground to a flour-like consistency then mixed into hot water (as if making instant coffee), so there was generally sediment around the rim and plenty of it on the bottom of the cup. But that’s part of experiencing another culture.
Suggestions:
A small backpack with things such as plenty of tissues as there are many bathrooms that don’t have toilet paper; hand sanitizer; small travel umbrella; a folding fan for the hot humid SE Asia weather (can buy at many markets for a couple of dollars); a few Bandaids; face sunscreen (to reapply after the morning application melts off); a coloured photocopy of passport; a cryptic list of your partner’s credit card numbers and the world wide phone number to call for each (not the 1-800 toll free number which doesn’t work in SE Asia) in case of loss or theft; camera and spare SD cards.
A sarong is suggested in the itinerary; this is just a very large rectangular scarf that can be worn as a skirt that covers the knees when visiting the temple near Bedugali. They are readily available at any market and ours cost ~$7.50 CAD each.
If you arrive in Ubud prior to the trip, a visit to the Monkey Forest Sanctuary is worth a visit, and if you’re a foodie, the five or seven course dinner (3 to 3.5 hours), with optional beverage pairings, at Locavore Restaurant is worth looking into; reservations are recommended and can be made online with a credit card deposit to ensure you show up. It was pricey but was a wonderful experience. On the budget side, there are many places to get a massage for a reasonable price. The entire area near Artinini 2 Cottages was safe, even at night for lone women. It is within walking distance of many markets, temples, restaurants, etc. We were surprised at how difficult it was to find a SIM card on the main street in such a touristy destination. Apparently one street to the east is where a number of electronic shops are located and SIM cards are readily available there. Our guide picked one up for me for day 2 and it was $8.00 CAD for 4GB of data which was plenty for the trip. Wifi is available in all of the accommodations although at a couple of places it was very slow.
We highly recommend Intrepid’s “Beautiful Bali” trip if you want to get closer to everyday life in Bali instead of spending time on the beach at a resort. It was nice mix of fun activities, cultural learning and free time, and we feel was good value for the money we spent.

A fantastic trip brought together buy a great Trip Leader. The fellow group members were great and everyone had loads of fun! Experienced so much and thoroughly recommend the trip! Can't wait to get back to Bali!

Accommodation

Guide

Meals

Transport

Flights

Insurance

Questions & Answers

Here we have collected and answered the most frequently asked questions about this tour.

March 1, 2017

Is the accommodation included on this tour?

Yes. We can confirm that the joining hotel will be Artini 2 Cottages in Ubud. Unfortunately, the remaining hotels are not confirmed until closer to the departure date.

August 1, 2016

I'm a solo traveller, will I be in a shared room or do I need to pay extra for a private one?

All prices displayed are for twin share and if you are travelling alone you will automatically be paired with another same sex, solo traveller,
Although if you prefer to pay extra to have a room to yourself this is an option also and you can select this on the booking page.

Monthly price comparison

About the countries

Currencies

Plugs & Adapters

Visa

Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.

Vaccinations

These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.

Typhoid

Recommended for
Indonesia.
Ideally 2 weeks before travel.

Hepatitis A

Recommended for
Indonesia.
Ideally 2 weeks before travel.

Cholera

Recommended for
Indonesia.
Ideally 2 weeks before travel.

Tuberculosis

Recommended for
Indonesia.
Ideally 3 months before travel.

Hepatitis B

Recommended for
Indonesia and Indonesia.
Ideally 2 months before travel.

Rabies

Recommended for
Indonesia.
Ideally 1 month before travel.

Yellow fever

Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an area with a risk of yellow fever transmission for
Indonesia.
Ideally 10 days before travel.

Japanese B encephalitis

Recommended for
Indonesia.
Ideally 1 month before travel.

Policies

Location

Ubud is the starting point and Sanur is the endpoint.

Hold my space

TourRadar can request Intrepid Travel to hold spaces for you for up to 48 hours without any credit card details.

Deposit

TourRadar only requires a deposit of $400 to confirm this Intrepid Travel booking. The remaining balance is then payable 60 days prior to the departure date. For any tour departing before 23 April 2018 the full payment of
$873
is necessary.

Cancellation policy

No additional cancellation fees! You can cancel the tour up to 60 days prior to the departure date and you will not need to pay the full amount of $873 for Beautiful Bali, but the deposit of $400 is non-refundable.

Credit Cards

The following cards are accepted for Intrepid Travel tours:
Visa - Master Card
- American Express

Destinations

Covering a total distance of approx 153 km.

Ubud (Indonesia)

21 km

Sidemen (Indonesia)

27 km

Mount Batur (Indonesia)

40 km

Lovina (Indonesia)

65 km

Sanur (Indonesia)

Why book with TourRadar

Best Price Guarantee

If you book with TourRadar and within 24 hours you find a better price than
$873 for the same tour, TourRadar will pay you the difference